Salut!

So basically the rest of my week off was great, I did everything that was on my to do list. I went to the neighbours to offer my working services (during a holiday...), but was declined and was invited over for supper instead! I thanked Karma, for that delicious meal.

My french course here in Houilles has been an adventure. I go to these classes two times per week. On the monday, the "teacher" is decent, but on the thursday I have a different "teacher" who is horrible. Us foreigners in the class of approx. 7, (who all have similarities and major cultural differences) have become a learning unit. We generally don't learn constructive french with the teacher on thursday, because of the material, the way she speaks and her teaching style. I think an obvious regulation for a french teacher is that you have to be able to speak french correctly. Those of us who can understand the type of material we are learning, are not happy. Philibert who is 9 years old can not understand what we are learning, and he is fluent in French. One of the ladies in my course is Portuguese, and communicates with very little french (in a hilarious accent) and with a lot of expression... Some of us in the class had talked on monday about how we need to change the material of the thursday course, and the plan was to talk to the thursday prof about it on thursday. On thursday, this old portuguese woman, reamed out the teacher which was not the plan.... "Trrrrop Difficilee!!!!!! Pas biieen!!"And this teacher who is very defensive retaliated "Tu peux met tes papiers dans la poubelle, avec moi!". It was half hilarious, half incredibly uncomfortable. I probably laughed more than I should have with out making any eye contact. She's a volunteer.. so we did feel a little bad for critiquing her when she didn't want to be critiqued. Well, I'm not going to the thursday course anymore, it's a waste of time.

Home life is wonderful as always. I hit a patch of sickness recently, with tonsil, fever, and headache issues.. but I'm feeling better now. Christine has a lot of knowledge on organic medication, so I haven't had a need to see a doctor yet!

This is the first remembrance day, (that I can remember) where I haven't been at a remembrance day service. I've been reading a french kids book about World War 2, it just feels necessary.

The pictures are from the Chateau de Versailles and the Musee de Quai Barly (museum of the first arts). The picture of the shutters with the yellow flowers; that is where Van Gogh lived with his brother for 4 years or so. It was a period in his life when he painted the most. Maybe he painted the "sunflowers in a vase" when he was there...